‘Templar no more’

  
Last month, I decided to annul my standing and rank in the Knights Templar, the chivalric branch of the York Rite of Freemasonry. I have received the demit certificate. Below is the text of my letter requesting the same, addressed to Trinity Commandery's Recorder.

March 18, 2011

Sir Knight and Dear Mario,

I have acquired some degree of experience in Freemasonry over the years, so I know that requests for demits sometimes are meant to send negative messages. I assure the Fratres of Trinity Commandery that no such malice or other hard feelings are at work in my decision to leave the Knights Templar. I know that no explanation is required when asking for a demit, but I want my brothers and friends to know that this is a consideration of conscience for me; an entirely personal and difficult decision reached after a lot of thought. You see, I am not a Christian. I never have been a Christian, and I’m sure I never will become a Christian; therefore my membership in the Order has been based on a fundamental untruth that I have come to regret. My religious faith was no secret to those who recruited me for membership, nor was any membership standard withheld or misstated to me at the time, but what happened is my own views of how to manage the discrepancy have evolved over the years, and I now realize this tough choice is necessary.

This is not to say I feel any shame or guilt for my decade of membership in the Knights Templar. Quite the contrary! I believe the Order of the Temple is among the most vital initiatic ceremonies in the entire corpus of Masonic degrees, and furthermore that this ritual in the hands of Trinity Commandery is brought to its most profound potential. More than the best commandery, we all know that Trinity is a very special band of brothers. It has been my great honor and privilege to have been inside the Asylum with Thurman Pace, Bud York, Mel Melendez, R__ M______, John Corrigan, and so many others.

In addition, I have always been proud of my efforts for the betterment of the Order. Contributing toward Trinity’s ritual work; laboring for seven years as editor of the New Jersey supplement of Knight Templar magazine; and serving in 2007 as Grand Historian have been enriching experiences that I always will treasure.

But it is time for me to go. I will see you all in our other stations and places amid our other labors, so this is not goodbye.

Thank you all!

I was halfway through writing the letter when I realized it was the birthday of Jacques DeMolay. Entirely coincidental. My good friend and brother John had been Grand Commander until March, so I waited until he had left office before sending this request. The timing of the date was not intentional, unless my subconscious was getting the best of me.

My task now is to try as hard as I can to think back, to reach back more than ten years, to remember why I joined. The real reason, beyond being recruited by trusted friends. I know what I think today, but what was on my mind then? There is something important in there.
  

‘A command performance?’

     

Masonic Templars who happen to be in or near Jenkintown, Pennsylvania next Monday may want to waste the evening listening to the Magpie Mason as he delivers his lecture titled “What Masons Can Learn from the Rule of St. Benedict.”

Kensington-Kadosh Commandery 54 meets in the Masonic Temple at 443 Old York Road in Jenkintown. This commandery marked its 134th anniversary on May 30.

This lecture was inspired by SK Chuck Blatchley of Montjoie Commandery 29 in Pittsburg, Kansas. Chuck is one of the brilliant lights at Masonic Light, and years ago he explained this classic text’s significance to the medieval Knights Templar, and pointed out how portions of it speak quite clearly to Freemasonry as well. It’s fascinating material, even in my hands, and I hope to see you at Kensington-Kadosh.

Billy Koon

But then, the following Monday–June 21: the Summer Solstice–the fratres are encouraged to get to Trinity Commandery 17 in Westfield, New Jersey for the Personal Visit of M.E. William H. Koon, II, Grand Master of the Grand Encampment of Knights Templar of the United States of America. (Or, as we know him, Billy.)

The education for this evening will be provided by X, who will present his lecture on the many variations of crosses, and what they symbolize. This is the same lecture he gave during the salon at the very first Rose Circle conference in 2006 (although it feels like ten years ago).

     

Magpie Mason on the road in MMX

“Merry New Year!”

The Magpie Mason’s speaking tour for 2010 is shaping up. Here are the dates for the first half of the new year. All are in New Jersey, unless noted otherwise.

Tuesday, January 19 - Northern New Jersey Council Princes of Jerusalem in Lincoln Park. Through the kind offices of SP Rajaram, I will help Scottish Rite Masons make sense of Dan Brown’s new bestseller “The Lost Symbol,” decoding the accuracies, the obvious inaccuracies, and the bizarre references.

Wednesday, January 27 - Alpha Lodge No. 116 in East Orange. Through the kind offices of W. Bro. Kevin, I will discuss The Masonic Society as part of a kind of “show and tell” program on things Masonic.

Wednesday, February 10 - George Washington Masonic Memorial in Alexandria, Virginia. (Not speaking, but helping organize an amazing event that day. Details to come!)

Thursday, February 25 -  St. John’s Commandery No. 9 in Rahway. Through the kind offices of EC Franklin, I will speak on “What the Rule of Saint Benedict Means to Templars and Freemasons.”

Friday, March 5 - Atlas-Pythagoras Lodge No. 10 in Westfield. Through the kind offices of W. Bro. Mohamad, I will speak on “The Lessons of Atlas and Pythagoras.”

Monday, March 15 - Trinity Commandery No. 17 in Westfield. Through the kind offices of EC Mario, I will speak on “What the Rule of Saint Benedict Means to Templars and Freemasons.”

Wednesday, May 26 - Alpha Lodge No. 116 in East Orange. Through the kind offices of W. Bro. Kevin, I will speak on “Death: Why I’m Looking Forward to It!”

Monday, June 14 - Kensington-Kadosh Commandery No. 54 in Jenkintown, Pennsylvania. Through the kind offices of EC Makia, I will speak on “What the Rule of Saint Benedict Means to Templars and Freemasons.”

Saturday, July 10 - Annual Voorhis Ingathering in Freehold. Gronning Council No. 83 of Allied Masonic Degrees again hosts the Ingathering. Papers will be presented, and the Degree of St. Lawrence the Martyr will be conferred. More info to come later this year.

DATE TO BE ANNOUNCED - Nutley Lodge No. 25 in Nutley. Through the kind offices of W. Bro. Dalton, I will speak on a topic to be announced.

In addition, on the first Thursday of each month, I will endeavor to lead a class at Peninsula Lodge No. 99 in Bayonne. This study group, dubbed The Architects, will explore Masonic ritual and symbol by reading classic and contemporary texts, and discussing what the speculations therein mean to each of us.

Wait, there’s more! I certainly will do my best to support my research lodges, AMD council, etc. Let’s see how many innocent Masons I can bore to tears before they file charges!

I especially am looking forward to:

• Masonic Week in Virginia in February;
• The National Heritage Museum symposium in April on New Perspectives on American Freemasonry and Fraternalism;
• Scottish Rite Supreme Council in Philadelphia in August;
• Masonic Library and Museum Association in Virginia in October; and
• Rose Circle conference in Manhattan in October.
• Plus, Scott Council No. 1 reaches its sesquicentennial, and Columbian Council celebrates its bicentennial this year.
• And The Initiated Eye: Secrets, Symbols, Freemasonry, and the Architecture of Washington, D.C. is on exhibit at Lexington through January 2011.
• Furthermore, there is the Pennsylvania Academy of Masonic Knowledge, the Joseph Campbell Foundation New York Chapter, and more!

I’m exhausted already.

2010 is going to be a wonderful year! I’ll see ya around.

‘Passing the baton’

     

Magpie file photo

Mike Lakat and Bud York, both Past Grand Commanders,
greet SK Thurman Pace.

For 43 years, Thurman C. Pace, Jr. has presided in the East of Trinity Commandery when conferring the Order of the Temple, but last night was his swansong. (Actually there was one exception last November when Grand Master Billy Koon paid an Official Visit to confer the Order.) He has been retiring, gradually, from various Masonic duties in recent years, and while he certainly remains very active, he believes it is best to “pass the baton” – or sword, as the case may be – to a new generation.

Thurman is a Past Commander of Trinity Commandery No. 17 in Westfield, New Jersey; a Past Northeast Department Commander; and an Honorary Past Grand Master of Grand Encampment. And he is a past grand or past supreme of almost everything else in Masonry in the United States. I am not able to list every capacity in which he has served the Craft, but I cannot resist pointing out how there are Rosicrucian colleges in France and Portugal named in his honor.

Naturally, it was he who knighted me when I received the Order of the Temple in 2000. “It’s great to see another Rose Croix man!” he said, greeting me upon being knighted. One of the few truly indelible memories in my Masonic life.

The Magpie Mason was unable to attend the ceremony last night, so these are file photos from the Magpie Archives.
     

‘Truth Crosses the Bridge’

   

Piers, John and Rob at Trinity on Monday night.

It was a typically memorable evening at Trinity Commandery No. 17 on Monday. There are about 10 Templar commanderies in New Jersey, but I think everyone acknowledges that Trinity offers the most. In its ritual work, education, camaraderie, and other characteristics, Trinity is regarded highly around the country. Even Grand Master Koon is a member here. For the program Monday night, Commander Rob Morton welcomed to the podium SK Piers Vaughan, past commander of historic Morton Commandery No. 4 in New York City, which is another outstanding KT commandery that confers its Orders in the Church of the Incarnation, a landmark Episcopal church on Madison Avenue. Piers also is a bishop in the Old Templar Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, and is an archbishop in the Ecclesia Rosae Rubeae and Aureae Crucis. Loyal Magpie readers also know him from St. John’s Lodge No. 1, Ancient York Masons in New York’s First Manhattan District, and from the Rose Circle Research Foundation.

Trinity is preparing to confer the Illustrious Order of the Red Cross in June, so Piers’ chosen topic worked perfectly.

“In the movie ‘Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,’ Indiana has to select the Holy Grail from a table covered with goblets. Finally, eschewing the gold, silver and bejeweled chalices, he reaches for a simple little pottery cup at the back of the table,” Piers began. “From among the sea of ‘empty vessels’ he has selected the simplest, the least impressive of those on offer, and he has chosen the most important treasure of all: the Holy Grail. In a similar vein, we often search for meaning among the better known degrees of our beloved Craft, yet sometimes the greatest treasure lies in a place we least expect. The Illustrious Order of the Red Cross is often seen as a curiosity, a mildly interesting piece of whimsy which we put on before the ‘important’ degrees of Malta and Temple. This quaint little play in three acts about a man being sent to the court of a king, crossing a bridge only to be arrested, and then restored to his former estate seems to teach us little. And the strange debate within the degree, about wine, kings and women seems almost out of place in a Masonic ceremony.

“Yet this little degree is one of the oldest of all Masonic degrees, and so venerated that it occurs in the Allied Masonic Degrees in England under the title Red Cross of Babylon, is strongly alluded to in the Royal Order of Scotland, and even features in the Order of Knight Masons, the ne plus ultra of Irish Freemasonry. Further afield, in continental Masonry it is the 16° of many Scottish Rite systems, and is the only degree surviving intact from the mysterious rite of the Elect Cohens of the Universe of Martinez de Pasqually.

“Why would such an apparently innocuous degree be thought worthy of such preservation, especially in such exalted bodies as the Royal Order of Scotland and the Knight Masons of Ireland? Even stranger, why would it be considered a pivotal degree in early magical systems, this degree which talks of a journey and an apparently frivolous debate?”

Piers went on to give the scriptural and legendary basis of the Order. The Knights know it already, and others can read an apt summary here. But what is it trying to teach us, Piers asked.

“The Order is usually split into three Acts,” he said. “In Act I, the Sanhedrin lament the fact that their efforts to rebuild the City and Temple at Jerusalem are constantly thwarted, either by aggressive enemies or by indifferent edicts. They elect to send an ambassador to the Court of Darius to plead their case. Zerubbabel offers to go, as he is known to the King at Babylon. In Act II, Zerubbabel attempts to cross a river by means of a bridge, but is arrested by guards and imprisoned. In Act III he is brought before the King, and his commitment to Truth and to his vows result in his being released and exalted, and, following the famous debate, he is allowed to return to his native land bearing gifts, with the promise of a free pass for him and his fellows.

“Although the journey is sandwiched between what appear to be two more impressive sections, do not let this distract you. The journey is in fact the most important part of all!”

This artifact is a fragment of a Babylonian stele, and is on display in the Museum at the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. It dates to approximately 500 BCE, and tells the story of the rebuilding of the Temple by Cyrus, the Persian king, on the 12th day of the fourth year of his reign.

“Now, many Masonic degrees explicitly talk of a journey:
• the Second Degree
• the Third Degree
• the Most Excellent Master Degree
• Mark Degree
• Most Excellent Master Degree
• Holy Royal Arch
• Royal Master Degree
• Select Master
• Super-Excellent Master.

“They all contain journeys, and if one accepts that all circumambulations are a symbolic journey, then all Masonic degrees contain such a journey,” Piers continued. “We find the symbolic use of a journey in many important books, not least Chaucer’s ‘Canterbury Tales,’ Bunyan’s ‘Pilgrim’s Progress’ and Dante’s ‘Inferno.’ Of all the Masonic systems of degrees, the journey undertaken by Zerubbabel in the Illustrious Order of the Red Cross is perhaps the most strange of all.

“In the Holy Royal Arch we learn that the name Zerubbabel signifies ‘Truth.’ Zerubbabel, like the ‘Pilgrim’ of Bunyan, is therefore the embodiment of this quality. It is ‘Truth,’ therefore, which undertakes this extraordinary journey, traveling, it might be noted, from West – or Jerusalem – to East – or Babylon – in a surprising reversal of the usual journeying which leads to the Holy City. In this case enlightenment is sought not in the Holy Land but beyond its shores. What is most important about this particular journey is that it is two-way. The immense significance of this will become apparent when we consider the fact that the journey involves crossing a bridge.

“Where or what is this mysterious river over which Zerubbabel must cross? An indication of the answer, surprisingly, lies in the preface to the Red Cross of Babylon Degree, published in England, which is worth quoting at length:

In the great religions of the world – for example Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Zoroastrianism, Confucianism, Shintoism – there is a tradition that the soul has to cross the river of death, usually over a bridge, but sometimes by ferry as in Greek mythology, or by dividing the waters as Elijah did before his translation… In all the Rites, crossing the bridge is a symbolical representation of death, while the subsequent experience of the candidate is emblematical of the judgment of the soul.

“In this sense the bridge is also like Jacob’s ladder in the First Degree; it is a means of crossing a divide or chasm which separates two places. Much is made in the Book of Ezra about being ‘over the river,’ or ‘this side of the river’ and ‘beyond the river,’ so using the idea of the river as a key delimiter between two lands or empires. So what is the nature of these two worlds, this river and this bridge?

“The river has often been used as a symbol for the veil of forgetfulness or death, and its waters wash both cares and remembrances from the transitioning soul,” our teacher continued. “The two lands represent the conscious and subconscious worlds.... There is a veil which separates these two worlds, and this can only be pierced by means of traversing a path or bridge. Truth, then, crosses the bridge between the earthly world and the celestial plane, there to be detected as an intruder (naturally, for he is both conscious and living); yet he was chosen for this task because in the legend from the Red Cross of Babylon ‘Zerubbabel was formerly well-known to the King, and now offers his services to undertake the hazardous enterprise of traversing the Persian dominions, and seeking admission to the presence of our Sovereign.’ So it appears that Truth was accustomed to crossing this bridge in the past in order to communicate with this mysterious ‘King,’ but may have forgotten how to do it, which is why he is stopped, recognized as not belonging to that second world, and apprehended.”

“However, on receiving an audience with the mysterious ‘King’ he is recognized and a final test is put to him,” Vaughan added. “This test is one of determining that he understands the importance of silence or secrecy. Truth demonstrates his understanding of the importance of keep silent on secret matters, and the ‘King’ now welcomes him as a friend. The mortal is accepted in the land of the dead, or the subconscious world. But has his mysterious bridge been ‘burned,’ and will he be allowed to return to the material plane with the gifts he will learn on this journey?

“Now we come to the most perplexing part of the story – the Immemorial Discussion, in which three arbiters argue the supremacy of wine, the power of the king, women, and truth. At first glance this debate seems almost out of place in the scheme of things. Why would this be a central part of the ritual? If accepted at face value, it has little to teach us, but we have learned by now that the debate itself is a symbol of something else, something higher.

“The topic, not surprisingly, is about strength. Can the goals of Zerubbabel be achieved through physical, material or temporal objects, such as wine, women or kingly power (and remember that Christ himself was tempted with bread and kingly power)? Even though Zerubbabel is given the task of arguing the strength of women, he comes to realize that only Truth can set him free. That is to say, that the strength which he seeks to build his personal Temple lies within himself. Well pleased with this result, the ‘King’ asks him what he needs, and he replies the ability to return as needed, in order to learn more. This is granted (in the symbolism of passports). And this is no casual gift, for Truth now has the ability to pass between the two planes of existence without further let or hindrance. Furthermore, he is lavished with more gifts and talents to take back with him to the material plane.

“And finally, in a supreme gesture, the king gives him words of power and a sigil to enable him to make the transition in future. In knowing that the power to transform and to build the Temple within lies inside himself, he now has the power to move between life and death itself. Death no longer holds any terrors for our hero.”

Piers’ entire paper, replete with explanation of more esoterica and symbolism, can be read here.
     

‘From Commandery to Consistory’

     


When the planets align just so, it is possible to have a York Rite Commandery and a Scottish Rite Consistory meet on consecutive evenings. Or maybe it’s just coincidence. Either way, that’s how it worked out this week. Trinity Commandery, No. 17 met in Conclave on Monday, followed by New Jersey Consistory last night.

The occasion at Trinity was especially memorable for many reasons. We were treated to the visit of M.E. William H. Koon, II, Grand Master of the Grand Encampment of the United States. He’s an Honorary Member of our Commandery, so it’s tempting to think of him as just Billy, an informality he does not discourage at all.

The purpose of the evening was to confer the Order of the Temple upon 15 Knights of Malta, and Billy presided over the ritual conferral, leading Trinity’s officers through the ceremony. This cannot be taken for granted because of the excellent quality of the ritual work refined over many years at Trinity. The Knights certainly have “their way” of doing things. (A grand officer once admiringly dubbed Trinity the “Cecil B. DeMille Commandery” for the ceremonial flourishes that make its ritual work unique in New Jersey, unique for its effective esoteric transmission.) Anyway, the Grand Master and Trinity’s Knights had no opportunity to rehearse, but complemented each other’s efforts magnificently nonetheless.

Another reason that circumstance is notable is for the singularity of having anyone else confer the Order. The Order of the Temple at Trinity was conferred for 43 years by Thurman C. Pace, Jr., Honorary Past Grand Master, but he gladly stepped aside for this memorable occasion.

The sizable class included many friends: Hansel from Sons of Liberty, Geoffrey from Essex Lodge, Gordie from Scott Chapter, and others. I’m glad they were able to advance to this key Masonic experience. The Order of the Temple, in the hands of a Commandery that knows its business, makes for an unforgettable and inspiring experience.

The Order was followed by a round of awards presentations. It’s great to see friends recognized for the hard work they put into their Freemasonry. Honestly, “hard work” is an understatement in some instances.

X, a recent Past Commander of Trinity, who also is a veritable mainstay of many York Rite organizations and those organizations’ events near and far, was duly recognized with the Templar’s highest honor: the Knight Commander of the Temple. Here he is being invested with the jewel by Thurman.



Similarly recognized was Mike Lakat, Grand Commander of New Jersey. Despite serving on his staff as editor of our monthly magazine, I actually do not know Mike very well, but it is obvious to anyone that he exudes class, professionalism and fraternal friendliness. He is precisely what Masonry would want in its leaders. These top awards were given very correctly. Our fraternity too often heaps titles and jewels on those who do not necessarily earn them. Sometimes it is a kind of momentum, like a snowballing effect, where rank is bestowed upon one because he already has so many others. In these instances, merit clearly won the day.

▲▼ ▲▼ ▲▼ ▲▼ ▲▼ ▲▼ ▲▼ ▲▼ ▲▼ ▲▼

The Scottish Rite’s equivalent of the YR’s Commandery is its Consistory, which “consists” of 32° Masons. The 32° itself is titled “Sublime Prince of the Royal Secret,” and the meeting of New Jersey Consistory on Tuesday was devoted to a discussion of what that secret is, decoding the symbols and ritual that impart it.

The degree has changed over the generations, so what a Google search can yield might not reveal the current form of the degree. Our lecturer did his best to explain various ritual elements for the benefit of all present, especially those who had just received this degree on Saturday.

Most importantly the term “secret” should not be understood as something to be hidden from the world, but rather as synonymously with “mystery,” because it is something intangible that we ought to seek in every aspect of life, not just in ritual contexts.

The trestleboard of this degree, nicknamed “The Camp,” is pregnant with symbols, as it is the accumulation of the symbolism of the entire corpus of AASR degrees. The significance of Frederick the Great, the history of the Rite of Perfection, and other subheadings were covered.

The presentation concluded with a revealing look at what the 33° used to be. Not to be confused with the modern 33°, which was written about 50 years ago to impart a variety of Masonic ideals, this original 33° was intended to continue the Templar lessons of the 30th, 31st and 32nd degrees of Scottish Rite Masonry circa 1804. I’ll have to leave you in suspense on that one.